INTRODUCTION

[Recording 130: may 2, 2149]
… now, we say ‘calm’ when the radiation level is below a hundred and ‘tide’ when it is above five hundred. Nothing is measured in days or nights anymore… it’s all about calms and tides now. The weather is becoming a bit more predictable, so my job is a bit easier now. Now too long ago, the warning times were less than 5 minutes… My best friend – Marty – shot himself after his wife died in one of the tides. That day, we managed to give only a 2 minute warning; the gates were closed right in front of her… they… they did nothing; she was screaming for at least a minute, they had time to let her in... So now I am alone in this lab; after… after they juiced his body, they confiscated all his belongings…

I remember people looking at me… like… like I killed those who died in the tides. Those eyes… I remember only the eyes. I tried to calm myself down. It… it wasn’t my fault; it wasn’t-. What could I do with just one substation and a few computers in my lab!?


[Recording 143: june 23, 2149]
…now it’s worse than ever. We can’t move between blocks… we have no contact with them what so ever. Tim told me that today Hammerset ordered to execute 6 protesters in block C… publicly. I am very grateful to Tim – he’s the only one I trust around here.

I… I am working day and night now to find a suitable calm… Their expedition is ready. They’ve found this Stall someone – he’s worked there two years ago, he’ll be their guide. It’s about 40 kilometers from here, so they’ll need at least a 10-hour calm…

If they don’t get that bacteria, we’re all as good as dead. Already they provide only half a liter per day-night… We’re all suffering from dehydration. This is our last hope.


[Recording 145: june 25, 2149]
Hammerset’s gone completely mad – he killed Stall’s only son today. FUCK! That… that BOY shot two of Hammerset’s men when they came to take him hostage. Hammerset wanted to use Stall’s son as an insurance that his guide won’t fuck with him… Fucking retard! What’s gonna happen now? We’re so fucked… we are so fucked…

Now he’s…we… we’re all targets – Hammerset told Stall that he’ll kill 20 men and women if anything goes wrong.

Tim disappeared. They say someone betrayed him… someone told on him.


[Recording 146: june 25, 2149]
Shit… shit… the p-p-protesters… they blew up the en-enforcement’s living halls. I’m… I’m in my lab, t-t-they’re now sweeping the area. I can… can hear shots all- all the time.


[Recording 147: june 28, 2149]
They just left. Hammerset and Stall just left without anyone. The explosion three days ago killed over 30 enforcers… that’s almost a half… So the other half is guarding us. If... if they don’t come back in two days, we’re all fucked.

I… I want to hope that Stall is more decent than the time he lives in… but I don’t know. I simply don’t know. His son was his family… I know how it is… to lose the only person you love.


[Recording 148: june 29, 2149]
Linda… they raped Linda and then killed then her infront of everyone. She was a nurse in the enforcers’ med centre… She was so cheerful and nice to everyone… I… I remember she once told me “It can’t rain all the time”. They did this to her, even though she was helping them… What could I do? I’m just a small man; a small man…

Without Hammerset, they’ve turned into real monsters… even if he gets the water-filtering bacteria, it won’t fix all of this shit… it just… can’t.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Simon Hammerset

Third generation mutant – he is faster, stronger and more aggressive than a normal human. Killed his sister at the age of 13 to show his siblings that he will not tolerate disobedience. At the age of 24, killed Sam ‘Seem’ Summers and took his place as the leader of the settlement – one of the few organized groups of survivors in this area. As a natural leader and killer, he quickly eliminated those who went against his will. He knows how to nurture the dark side of those around him, and use it to his advantage.

Tom Stall

Used to live and work in the most technically-advanced settlement in the area. Though it was just one bunker, they had the most advanced scientific tools, which allowed them to develop a bacteria that filters contaminated water quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the settlement was attacked by a group of raiders and destroyed. Stall, his son and 16 other men were the only survivors who made it to the settlement they live in now.

One of the developers of the water-filtering bacteria. The only man in the world who knows how to get into the secret ‘level 5’ lab where the bacteria samples are held through a complex heat exchange system.

A quiet man devoted to his family (or what's left of it). He always stood tall, raising his son to the same standard.

THE GAME

A two-player-only, character-driven RPG. The map centers around the journey of these two men, and how Hammerset and the situation they're in push Stall to his limit of morality, good and sanity. In the end, the map boils down to a decission the players make when they find the bacteria - will Stall return to the awful settlement to save the lives that depend on him, or will he try to kill Hammerset and get away from all the bullshit that's surrounding him? Will Hammerset try to bring the bacteria to the settlement or will he seek fortune in another place, killing those he left behind?

I'm not planning a very complex battle system... you'll have a dropship with abilities/items and you'll shoot enemies as usual (no VHP or battles in separate areas). There will be a factor of radiation that will slowly damage you via Direct Damage. Obviously some areas have higher radiation levels than others. The game will have action-sections (like Rush), with each section incorporating something different. Of course, you'll see the usual way of advancing through an RPG, but it will certainly have the 'action inserts' from time to time. The characters will not boost their HP or abilities - they just advance through the story which is driven by the characters themselves.

What I want to incorporate in this map are thoughts of characters. In other words, the player will see what the character is thinking in short text messages. Expect to see something like 'Come in, feel yourself like home/You're gonna die motherfucker, you're gonna die!'

COMMENTS

I made this topic to get your opinion, dead viewer. Like/hate my writing/ideas? - post your comments/suggestions/opinions. This is the first time I've written something in english, so bare with any grammar or style errors (and try to correct them if possible!).

This is just the general idea of the map made to give you a feel of it. I cannot map at the moment - I'm at uni without SC or any editor installed on my computer. I'll only be able to work on this for three weeks at home, starting from the 29th of March. And then during the summer break. However, if A of s t makes some terrain for the City of the Dead project, I will revive it and not even start this map (which is, by the way, also on Badlands). In any case, I hope to make atleast one entry to the last stand RPG challenge.

Anyway, post any comments on this material and the ideas attached to it.

Also, a big JaFFy hug to the first person to find three movie references - two easy ones and a difficult one.

Post has been edited 4 time(s), last time on Feb 7 2009, 5:17 pm by JaFF.

"It can't rain all the time" - the crow

So you are going to actually play as this hammerset asswhole (who you unfortunately made typical and 1 dimensional)

Yes, you are going to paly him. Though I agree that he needs more depth, he is only there to push Stall further and further. Perhaps you have any ideas on how to make him deeper without sacrificing his style of being the ultimate monster?

ADDITION: Shit, there are actually 3 movie references, not 2.

So the maps focus is driving Stall insane with hate? Then hammerset is forgivable.

Although the player actually using hammerset might be a little disappointed in being nothing but a plot device. If you really make doing hammerset's evil actions enjoyable then I guess it would balance out.

Hmmmm. Perhaps Hammerset's player gets to chose how to make Stall's life miserable? Gets to chose the situations where Stall is in a lose-lose position?

don't make it too open ended or you'll never finish it.

It's fine - if I realize that these tortures take too long in game time, I can turn their endings (Stall loses) into cutscenes to shorten the time. Those would be fine moments to show his attempts to control himself the first time, his anger the second time, and his attempts to stop himsef from killing Hammerset the third time.

I know it's a bit ''late'', but I found this and read the first topic: wow, it is very interesting. This got abandoned?

Yeah. Hopefully someone will use some of that stuff in their maps.

I like these ideas, would you mind if i used them?